Power line communications (PLC) include systems for communicating data over the same medium (i.e., a wire or conductor) that is also used to transmit electric power to residences, buildings, and other premises. Once deployed, PLC systems may enable a wide array of applications, including, for example, automatic meter reading and load control (i.e., utility-type applications), automotive uses (e.g., charging electric cars), home automation (e.g., controlling appliances, lights, etc.), and/or computer networking (e.g., Internet access), to name a few.
Narrowband power line communications (NB-PLC) operating in the 3-500 kHz frequency band has been gaining interest as a solution to support the emerging Smart Grid applications that aim to optimize the efficiency and reliability of the power grids. PLC is particularly appealing for Smart Grid applications due to its low deployment cost over the existing power line infrastructure.
PLC channels are known to be highly challenging environments for digital communication because they have to contend with bursts of impulse noise that can be highly random. Further, frequency-selective channels of PLC can significantly limit the system performance and data rates.
Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) PLC is being considered as a promising technology to increase the data rates as well as provide robustness against the harsh conditions encountered in PLC environments.